‘Nasal Ranger’ weeds out pot odor complaints

‘Nasal Ranger’ weeds out pot odor complaints

SEATTLE — As Washington and Colorado navigate the uncharted waters of legalized pot, one city finally has an answer to people asking, “What’s that smell?” Now, Denver is embracing a new tool to sniff out odor complaints near marijuana grows — the Nasal Ranger.

The portable device augments the human sense of smell to determine if an odor is strong enough to warrant a fine.

High Times compares the tool’s appearance to a megaphone or radar gun. A mask is placed over the user’s nose, enabling the person to detect the intensity of odor by filtering out odorous air.

Denver’s Department of Environment Health hopes the Nasal Ranger can help sift through a growing number of complaints about marijuana odors.

In the Seattle area, the answer to dealing with excessive pot odors is not as clear. The Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, which is designated to specifically handle odors, says there’s nothing they can do since the agency doesn’t issue permits for marijuana grows, according to the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. The agency has no plans to use the Nasal Ranger.